The Key Elements to Branding in 2021
In this blog, we’ll reveal some key elements to successful branding in 2021.
Think local, think universal, think emotional.
After the year of all years, 2020 has altered our perceptions of a brand and your brand needs to negotiate these changes and stand out from the crowd in 2021 and beyond.
Revisiting Your Brand
This blog will encourage you to revisit your brand and prepare it for success in 2021. In this blog, you will be asked to:
- Analyse your USPs.
- Be aware of the new ways customers engage with your brand.
- Check the consistency of your branding.
This blog will also give you three elements to help you and your brand in 2021 and beyond, and it will even give you an advanced tip, too.
Are Your USPs REALLY USPs?
USPs, or Unique Selling Points, could be numerous or it could just be one facet. However, now’s the time to analyse your USPs again.
Has a competitor snuck up behind you and encroached on your territory?
Has your USP undergone a transformation or a metamorphosis?
Is your brand still relevant to local businesses yet with a universal appeal? Does it still have the capacity to have an emotional impact with your customers?
While these questions are tough ones to ask, they are necessary for 2021.
Engagement Has Changed … Forever
An aspect of the (hopefully) post-pandemic world is that our engagement with brands has altered.
Our emotions have been heightened and our willingness to engage has become immediate.
The changes to Google’s algorithm, set to take place in May 2021, is taking place at just the right time.
Your branding, and what it represents is part of the UX you offer your customers, and you need to be able to offer the best experience you can.
Is Your Brand Consistent?
Consistency is key. This is not only with important elements such as your logo but with your brand message and engagement.
No matter how tricky the customer, or where they are located, they should always get the same, consistent experience with your brand, from start to finish and across all platforms from web design to content and email marketing.
A good way to do this is to ensure you personalise your brand.
If part of your brand strategy is to communicate with your customers, can you personalise that communication? Recommend products that would be helpful to THEM? Understand any differentials that are linked with their geographical location?
Consistently surprising your customers can be a key to good engagement, increased sales and ongoing trust in your brand.
The Three Elements of Great Branding in 2021
There seems to be a lot to take in here!
So here are three steps you can take today.
- First of all, you need to revisit the basics or the foundation of your brand. If it’s a product, then what are its benefits? If it’s a service, what does your service offer?
- Then consider the emotional benefits presented by your brand. Does it promote well-being, timesaving or a much-needed skillset? Does it appeal to an even wider audience?
- Finally, how does your customer identify with your brand? This can vary from customer to customer. Tailoring your communications can help overcome any hesitations.
While elements of the above are drilling down into your brand’s message, you still have to hold on to its universal appeal.
We’re not saying this is easy and many businesses need help with these often-demanding aspects of branding.
What To Do If Don’t Know What To Do
If you think of the world’s biggest brands … Coca-Cola, for example … and with politics aside, their branding is spot-on.
It’s consistent, it has a global, yet local message and it appeals to its audience on an emotional level.
Yet Coca-Cola’s foundations have always remained the same.
All this is the result of hard work by branding experts! It won’t have resulted from a few minutes of thinking time: it will have resulted from lots of complex research.
So, don’t be hard on yourself!
There are professionals to help you do this and help you succeed as a result.
An Advanced Tip …
Whereas consistency is the key, there is ALWAYS room for agility and innovation.
While your brand may not be as mighty as Coca-Cola, you can borrow some of their tactics and agility is one of them.
Being able to flex and adapt – offering new products, additional services for example – is key.
Already some companies have noticed that even relatively new innovations are now ‘past their sell-by date’.
Do your research to see how you can remain flexible and forward-thinking.
Thank You!
We know your time is precious!
Book a call today on 0330 900 1633 or contact us here.
The Digital Zest team would be happy to discuss your brand and how it can become even more successful.